Felischa Marye’s (13 Reasons Why) comedy series Bigger will not be returning at BET+ as the streamer has dropped the show after two seasons.
“We’re sad to announce that #BiggerOnBet will not get a third season. We know, we know,” tweeted Marye, who serves as creator, executive producer, and showrunner on the series. “We can’t believe it either, but want to say thanks to our #BiggerSeries Hive for being such loyal and passionate fans.”
Bigger is produced by Will Packer Productions and follows five 30-somethings living in Atlanta as they navigate love, heartache, friendship, and career goals while trying to build professional and personal lives they can be proud of. After the sudden death of a college acquaintance, the group is forced to confront some uncomfortable truths about each other
The series stars Tanisha Long (I Love Bekka & Lucy) as Layne Roberts alongside Angell Conwell (The Young and the Restless) as Veronica Yates, Rasheda Crockett (All Rise) as Tracey Davis, Tristen J. Winger (Insecure) as Vince, and Chase Anthony (Journey of a Goddess) as Deon. Lucius Baston (Lovecraft Country) also appears in a recurring role as Terry.
In her Twitter thread about the cancelation, Marye thanked the cast and crew, as well as the fans, writing, “We wanted to give audiences a hardcore funny comedy with a big heart, and our fans were there for it, so we thank you! We had a lovely dinner last week to end the year, while ending such a special show…”
Marye also shared a photo with the cast, followed by a post praising them for their work on the series. “Until we meet again!” she concluded.
Famed comedian Gary Owen returns to SHOWTIME for his fifth stand-up comedy special, Gary Owen: Black Famous, premiering Friday, December 31 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
In the hour-long special, filmed in his hometown of Cincinnati at the Memorial Hall OTR, Owen hilariously embraces his new life as a divorceì following a very public and messy end to his marriage. Unable to diffuse rumors until now, Owen airs some of his dirty laundry and continues to dazzle viewers with more of his beloved real-life stories. But as Owen likes to say, this one ends with a “big twist!”
Owen has been entertaining audiences for decades with his comedy, performing to sold-out crowds across the country. On the big screen, he has starred in the popular franchise Think Like a Man and the follow-up Think Like a Man Too, as well as Ride Along, Little Man, Daddy Day Care, Meet the Blacks and The House Next Door: Meet the Blacks 2.
In 2016, Owen starred in The Gary Owen Show, which chronicled his dynamic and interracial family life in small-town Ohio. His other small-screen credits include co-hosting the sketch series Upload with Shaquille O’Neal, a recurring role in the comedy series Tyler Perry’s House of Payne, hosting the comedy special Shaquille O’Neal Presents: All Star Comedy Jam – Live from Orlando, Mike Epps Presents: Live from Club Nokia, Martin Lawrence Presents: 1st Amendment and winning and hosting two seasons of the multicultural comedy competition show ComicView.
Gary Owen: Black Famous is executive produced by Brian Volk-Weiss (Pete Davidson: Alive From New York, Ali Wong: Baby Cobra) and Cisco Henson for Comedy Dynamics. Gary Owen (Breakin’ Out of the Park, I AGREE WITH MYSELF, #DOINWHATIDO) serves as executive producer along with Lisa Blum-Strode (Scary Movie and Haunted House Franchises). The special is directed by Brian Volk-Weiss.
Photo: Rob Butler/Courtesy of SHOWTIME
Watch the new trailer here:
Wilmer Valderrama is attached to star in and executive produce a live-action “Zorro” series that is in development at Disney Branded Television.
In “Zorro,” Valderrama would star as Don Diego de la Vega and his swashbuckling alter ego, the masked horseman known as Zorro, in the days of Spanish California.
The show is a reimagining of the Disney-ABC “Zorro” series starring Guy Williams that aired in the 1950s. That show also starred Gene Sheldon, George J. Lewis, and Henry Calvin. It aired for 78 episodes between 1957 and 1959, with four hour-long episodes airing in the early 1960s.
“We’re reimagining this Disney classic as a compelling period piece, set in Pueblo de Los Angeles, but told in a very modern telenovela style — with richly drawn contemporary characters and relationships set against the action, drama, suspense and humor of the original, iconic Zorro,” said Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television. “Wilmer shares our commitment to reflect the interesting and rich diversity of the human experience and we look forward to delivering a culturally relevant and entertaining story with definitional characters that will connect with our viewers for generations to come.”
Along with Valderrama, the new should be executive produced by Gary Marsh, the outgoing president and chief creative officer of Disney Branded Television. The show is part of Marsh’s production pact with Disney General Entertainment. John Gertz of Zorro Productions Inc. is also an executive producer.
“Growing up, Zorro was the one character that made me, as a Latino, feel like I could be a hero,” Valderrama said. “As an adult and a storyteller, I have a responsibility in the stories that I help bring to life. To partner with Gary and Disney to bring Zorro back into the family after 60 years and be a part of the legacy for other children to know they too can be the heroes of their own stories is a dream come true.”
Valderrama is best known for his role as Fez on the hit sitcom “That ’70s Show” as well as his role as Nick Torres on “NCIS.” He has worked with Disney multiple times in the past, including the Disney Junior animated series “Handy Manny” and the Disney animated films “Onward” and “Encanto.”
He is repped by UTA and Silver Lining Entertainment.
Source: Variety
Sherri Shepherd, who was scheduled to be a guest host for the ailing Wendy Williams as host of The Wendy Williams Show this week, has undergone emergency surgery for appendicitis and is unable to appear.
“Due to appendicitis, Sherri Shepherd underwent an emergency surgery yesterday. The procedure was successful and Ms. Shepherd is doing fine and resting,” Shepherd’s publicist said in a statement to Deadline. “She is absolutely devastated that she will not be able to guest host The Wendy Williams Show today, but she is following doctors orders and expected to make a full recovery. Thank you all for understanding and respecting her privacy.”
A spokesperson for The Wendy Williams Show says Michael Rapaport will be filling in for Shepherd, and that Shepherd hopes to be back on the show later in the week.
Shepherd has been among a rotating list of guest hosts for the show while Williams recovers from complications of Graves disease.
The show’s scheduled September 20 Season 13 premiere was delayed for weeks after Williams tested positive for a breakthrough case of Covid-19. Prior to her Covid diagnosis, the show said Williams would be stepping back from promotional activities ahead of the premiere due to “ongoing health issues.”
Williams has battled various maladies over the last few years. Her battle with Graves disease, an immune system disorder, dates to 1999. She also passed out on live TV in 2017 during the show’s Halloween episode, an incident that was attributed to dehydration.
The show was on hiatus in 2020 because of the pandemic but had a brief remote stint with Williams broadcasting from her New York apartment. Later, production was again paused for several weeks so Williams could be with her family following her mother’s death.
The nationally syndicated Wendy Williams Show is produced and distributed by Debmar-Mercury and has been renewed through the 2021-2022 season by the Fox Television Stations.
Source: Deadline
A full trailer for the long-awaited series adaptation of Halo has arrived.
Released during the live stream of the Game Awards Thursday, the trailer for the Paramount+ series offers a more expansive look than a brief teaser from November did.
The minute-long trailer showcases some sweeping visuals and offers a few glimpses of the conflict at the heart of the series — which is set in the 26th century when humanity is locked in a battle with an alien entity called the Covenant.
Watch the trailer below;
Today, Urban One announced the superstar group of honorees for the upcoming URBAN ONE HONORS including Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Lifetime Achievement; Timbaland, Music Innovation; Gamble and Huff, Living Legends; Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Inspirational Impact; and Oscar, Grammy, and Emmy Award-winning Jennifer Hudson, Entertainment Icon. Hosted by Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer Ne-Yo, the two-hour telecast premieres Monday, January 17, 2022, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, on TV One and Cleo TV, a division of Urban One.
Wireless provider T-Mobile, America’s 5G leader with the largest, fastest, and most reliable 5G network, serves as Presenting Sponsor of the celebration. Previously announced presenters included Jermaine Dupri, Marlon Wayans and Vashawn Mitchell, alongside performances by Inspirational Impact honoree Tasha Cobbs-Leonard, Kelly Price and Tank. Additionally, TV & Radio Personality Eva Marcille will host a special backstage pass segment, featuring exclusive interviews with the show’s honorees, performers, and presenters. Tony McCuin serves as Director with Kim Burse on board as Musical Director.
URBAN ONE HONORS is presented by TV One and Radio One’s Washington D.C. market’s cluster of radio stations: Majic 102.3 and 92.7, WKYS 93.9, Praise 104.1, WOL 1450 & 95.9, and Spirit 1340. The televised event heralds the accomplishments of individuals who have made extraordinary contributions in entertainment, media, music, education, and the community.
URBAN ONE HONORS is Executive Produced by Eric Tomosunas and Robert A. Boyd, II of Swirl Films. Marilyn Gill is the show’s Executive Producer. Kashon Powell is the Vice President of Programming for Radio One and Susan Henry is the Executive Producer in Charge of Production for TV One.
“Live from London…It’s Saturday Night”?
NBC’s iconic late-night sketch show could be hitting British shores in the future. Our sources have confirmed that a U.K. adaptation of the format is in early development at Comcast-backed pay-TV operator Sky.
The tie-up is hardly surprising given both Sky and NBC share the same parent company, and such collaborations have been mooted ever since Comcast outbid Fox to snap up the European media company for $39 billion back in 2018.
“Saturday Night Live” has been adapted in a number of territories, including China, Japan, West Asia (also known as the Middle East), France, Italy, Poland and Brazil. The show also recently returned to Korea after a few years’ hiatus, as reported earlier this year.
Given the U.S./U.K. crossover of talent, a British version of the show could be substantial, and it’s believed local comedians are already throwing their hats in the ring to take part. However, Britain doesn’t have the same culture around late-night programming as the U.S. and it’s much harder to get shows away in late time slots. (ITV took a punt at the format with “The Nightly Show” in 2017, which was swiftly canceled after one season. Channel 4 has had more luck in recent years with “The Big Narstie Show”). As such, it’s likely “SNL” will air much earlier in the U.K.
“Saturday Night Live” was not widely distributed in the U.K. until recently when full episodes have been landing on Sky Comedy.
The original U.S. version is produced in association with Broadway Video, with Lorne Michaels as creator and executive producer.
Source: Variety
The ongoing pandemic can’t stall the fountainhead of cinematic creative bursting from the Sundance Film Festival’s 2022 lineup, which was unveiled Thursday.
Sundance festival director Tabitha Jackson told Deadline that the upcoming lineup of 82 features for the virtual and in-person Park City event is “doubling down on festival discovery,” an m.o. that harkens to the Robert Redford-founded event’s indie roots.
Centered in the up-market ski town, Sundance 2022 is set to run January 20-30.
Sundance 2022 boasts a lineup is inclusive, spotlighting representation with films that speak to our time and show off the bandwidth of talent. Among the selection there are documentaries on Princess Diana (opening-day world premiere The Princess from Ed Perkins) and Bill Cosby (W. Kamau Bell’s world premiere We Need to Talk About Cosby); a double dose of Dakota Johnson (Cooper Raiff’s Cha Cha Real Smooth and Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne’s Am I OK? both of which the Fifty Shades of Grey actress produced); and one of late Michael Kenneth Williams’ final performances, that being Abi Damaris Corbin’s 892 about a Marine veteran who is at his wits end as he tries to reintegrate back into civilian life.
“Eighty percent of our feature film program is still for sale and 42% are first-time directors,” said Jackson. “It’s a really energetic festival for people getting to meet this work.”
“Artists figured out a way to make movies despite any challenges presented to them,” Sundance Film Festival director of programming Kim Yutani said about filmmakers’ fortitude to have their voices heard despite the restrictions presented by Covid. Jackson adds that “People were creatively resilient.”
“This year’s program reflects the unsettling and uncertain times we’ve been living in for the past year and a half. The artists in the program, through their bold and innovative storytelling, and their sheer determination to create work in this moment, challenge us to look at the world through different lenses and examine and reevaluate how these stories impact us now and in the future,” Yutani said in a statement.
The numbers speak for themselves: The upcoming edition touted the highest number of shorts submissions ever, besting 2021’s 9,933; while the feature lineup reps an increase over last year’s 72 titles across the U.S. Competition and World Cinema Competition Dramatic and Documentary, Midnight, Shorts Spotlight and NEXT sections, as well as the episodic Indie Series and New Frontier programs.
The 2022 lineup was selected from 14,849 submissions, including 3,762 feature-length films. Of the latter, 1,652 were from the U.S., and 2,110 were international. Overall, 75 of the festival’s 82 feature films announced today will be world premieres.
Of the 82 movies chosen, 43 (52%) were directed by one or more filmmakers who identify as women (vs. 50% for 2021); one was directed by one or more filmmakers who identify as non-binary individuals (down from 4%); 29 (35%) were directed by one or more filmmakers who identify as people of color (vs. 51% from this year’s edition); while eight (10%) are by one or more filmmakers who identify as LGBTQ+ (vs. 15% from 2021).
“This year, we look forward to celebrating this generation’s most innovative storytellers as they share their work across a wide range of genres and forms,” Sundance Institute founder and president Redford said today. “These artists have provided a light through the darkest of times, and we look forward to welcoming their unique visions out into the world and experiencing them together.”
“I’m so impressed by, and proud of, the work that the curatorial and production teams have done to plan this festival,” said newly appointed Sundance Institute CEO and former Toronto Film Festival co-head Joana Vicente. “I think audiences will be extremely excited to convene and engage with the incredible stories these artists are telling.”
While Dr. Anthony Fauci eased some concerns about the Omicron variant, saying recently it seemed to be less severe than Delta, the 2022 Sundance Film Festival remains in a position to pivot should the worst-case scenarios prevail. “We designed the festival to be flexible and are ready for whatever comes toward us,” said Jackson, referring to the online availability of movies for ticketholders. The 2022 edition will be the second time the festival has gone virtual during Covid.
As part of Sundance extending its celebration nationwide, eight feature films were chosen for the festival’s Satellite Screens, which will play at seven independent art house cinemas across the U.S. for local audiences during the fest’s closing weekend (January 28-30). Those titles are Alice; Emergency; Every Day in Kaimukī; Free Chol Soo Lee; Honk for Jesus, Save Your Soul; La Guerra Civil; Marte Um (Mars One); and Sirens, with additional Short Film participation to be announced.
With nationwide reach, the program will play at Amherst Cinema in Amherst, MA; a/perture cinema in Winston-Salem,NC; Digital Gym Cinema in San Diego; Indie Memphis in Memphis; mama.film in Lawrence, KS; Northwest Film Forum in Seattle; and SNF Parkway Theatre, home of the Maryland Film Festival, in Baltimore.
Day one titles for Sundance 2022 include Emergency, Fire of Love, Fresh, La Guerra Civil, A Love Song, Marte Um (Mars One), The Princess, Tantura, When You Finish Saving the World, and The Worst Person in the World. Lucy and Desi is the fest’s Salt Lake City Opening Night Gala Film, premiering at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center on January 21.
As in past years, Deadline will be on the ground and online covering the films, the deals, the panels, and the word on the streets of Park City and beyond. Additionally, our Deadline Studio will be up and running again as our team speaks with filmmakers about their projects and the festival itself.
Source: Deadline
In the film, super-spy Orson Fortune (Jason Statham) must track down and stop the sale of a deadly new weapons technology wielded by billionaire arms broker Greg Simmonds (Hugh Grant).
Reluctantly teamed with some of the world’s best operatives (Aubrey Plaza, Cary Elwes, Bugzy Malone), Fortune and his crew recruit Hollywood’s biggest movie star Danny Francesco (Josh Hartnett) to help them on their globe-trotting undercover mission to save the world.
Watch the trailer below;